Vitamin E

A Closer Look at Supplements

Health and wellness, and the lurking, ever-present danger of being stricken down by a debilitating illness, are on everyone's mind. When looking for ways to prevent devastating diseases such as cancer, in addition to age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s, the importance of vitamin E quite simply cannot be overlooked. While vitamin E’s main role is to protect against damage within the cells of the body, vitamin E plays many other roles in your total health and well-being, some of which may surprise you…

What is Vitamin E?

Just like vitamin A, this nutrient is not actually one single compound, as you might have thought. Vitamin E actually encompasses a group of compounds, known as tocopherols. You might recognize this term, especially if you already take a supplement containing vitamin E. Alpha-tocopherol is the most common form, and also the most potent. Most vitamin E supplements will offer this form instead of the other 3 major types, beta-, delta- and gamma-tocopherols, which are less potent.

Vitamin E provides a range of benefits that mostly entail the prevention of cell damage, which can lead to various diseases. Each cell in your body holds precious DNA and other organelles that your body couldn’t function without. Each of these cells is surrounded by a membrane that holds everything inside, as well as protects it from the aqueous environment found outside of each cell. Without this membrane, foreign bodies, such as free radicals, could destroy the important content inside the cell, and the body would die.

How does Vitamin E work?

Vitamin E is one of the most potent antioxidants available to protect cell-membranes, for the simple reason that it can actually stop free radical damage before it starts! Free radicals are formed from both normal metabolic processes and also pollutants. Stopping this kind of damage is especially useful in the prevention of cancer, heart disease, and a number of other diseases.

Cancer is something that scientists don’t know a whole lot about, which is why it is such a terrible and devastating disease. What is known is that the word “cancer” defines abnormal cell-growth. This abnormal cell-growth is caused by damage to cells that then proliferate and grow out of control, affecting surrounding cells, and sometimes taking over entire organs. Antioxidants may protect against the free radicals that cause this damage in the first place, which is of great interest to cancer researchers. One thing is known for sure: Eating a healthy diet that includes a good amount of antioxidants, which are found mainly in fruits and vegetables, or supplementing with a vitamin regimen that will provide you with potent antioxidants, such as vitamin E, C, carotenoids, Lipoic acids, and other flavonoids, can’t hurt!

Vitamin E’s antioxidant power is also useful in the treatment of a number of other ailments, such as heart disease, which benefits from Vitamin E’s positive effects on preventing LDL cholesterol damage by free radicals, impaired immune function and even skin ailments. Topic applications of vitamin E oil or commercial creams that contain the nutrient can be applied directly to the skin to promote wound healing, prevent scars and also to soften dry skin. Protecting against cell damage may also slow the normal aging process and thus retard age-related diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and cataracts.

How can I make the most of Vitamin E?

Vitamin E is an essential nutrient required by the body on a daily basis in order to function properly, thus it has earned itself an RDA. The recommendations for women are 8 mg or 12 IU per day, and 10mg or 15 IU daily for men. Vitamin E supplements are more often listed in International Units (IU), so make sure to look for that. These amounts are given solely to prevent deficiency, but much higher doses, in the 400-800 IU/day range, are given for full antioxidant effects. Also, taking vitamin C along with vitamin E may enhance its antioxidant power. Taking your vitamins with a meal will not only reduce the risk of stomach irritation, it also enhances the absorption of many nutrients.

What are the Safety Issues Surrounding Vitamin E Use?

Toxicity of vitamin E is rare, but it can happen. Vitamin E is one of four vitamins that are classified as “fat-soluble” vitamins. A, D, and K are also in this category. Fat-soluble vitamins are not easily removed from the body when there is an excess, which means that toxicity is a concern. Both adipose (fat) tissue and the liver store fat-soluble vitamins for a long period of time, so it is important that you don’t take in more than the recommended daily value for each of these nutrients. Taking large-doses of vitamin E at the same time as vitamin A may prevent the absorption of the latter nutrient, so avoid this if possible.

Deficiency of vitamin E can result in neurological damage. Red blood cells require antioxidant protection to survive as long as they are needed, so a lack of vitamin E can shorten the life of these cells. If you are on a low-fat diet, you should consider supplementing with vitamin E since it is available mainly in high-fat foods.

Vitamin E is a natural blood-thinner, and can negatively interfere with blood-thinning medications and aspirin (both of which work to thin the blood as well). To avoid over-thinning the blood, vitamin E should not be taken along with these medications unless otherwise prescribed by your doctor. If you are planning on having surgery, it is also recommended that you should cease vitamin E intake at least 2 days before the operation to avoid thinning the blood too much, which can cause excessive bleeding, and to not start using it again until 2 days after the surgery.

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